EP3491689A1

EP3491689A1 - Anode for a lithium-ion battery cell, production method thereof and battery including same

Info

Publication number: EP3491689A1
Application number: EP17754409.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philippe Sonntag; Julie COURTAT; Marc Zimmermann; Ksenia ASTAFYEVA; Bruno Dufour; David Ayme-Perrot
Original assignee: Hutchinson SA
Current assignee: Hutchinson SA
Priority date: 2016-07-26
Filing date: 2017-07-21
Publication date: 2019-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2037-07-21
Also published as: US11133493B2; JP2019527457A; CA3031323C; EP3491689B1; TWI729176B; FR3054728B1; ES2917218T3; KR102361528B1; FR3054728A1; JP6968148B2; US20190165366A1; KR20190032389A; CN109496371A; TW201804648A; WO2018020117A1; CA3031323A1; CN109496371B

Abstract

The invention relates to a polymer composition for an electrode, suitable for forming a lithium-ion battery anode, the preparation method thereof, this electrode and a lithium-ion battery including same. This composition comprises an active material which comprises a graphite usable in the anode, an electrically conductive filler and a cross-linked elastomer binder that comprises at least one hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene copolymer (HNBR). According to the invention, said binder comprises at least one non-hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene copolymer (NBR) and/or at least one HNBR with an acrylonitrile content by weight greater than or equal to 40% and cross-linked by thermal oxidation. This preparation method comprises successively: a) mixing ingredients of the composition, comprising the active material, the binder in a non-cross-linked state and the electrically conductive filler, in order to obtain a precursor mixture of the composition, b) depositing said mixture on a metal current collector so that said mixture forms a non-cross-linked film, then c) thermal oxidation of said non-cross-linked film under an atmosphere containing oxygen at a temperature of between 200 and 300°C, in order to obtain said electrode in which said binder is cross-linked.

Description

ANODE FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERY CELL, ITS METHOD OF

MANUFACTURING AND BATTERY INCORPORATING

The present invention relates to a polymeric composition for an electrode capable of forming a lithium-ion battery anode, a process for preparing this composition, such an electrode and a lithium-ion battery whose cell or each cell incorporates this electrode.

There are two main types of lithium storage batteries: lithium metal batteries, where the negative electrode is composed of lithium metal (a material that poses safety problems in the presence of a liquid electrolyte), and lithium-ion batteries. ion, where the lithium remains in the ionic state.

Lithium-ion batteries consist of at least two faradic conducting electrodes of different polarities, the negative or anode electrode and the positive electrode or cathode, electrodes between which is a separator which consists of an electrical insulator impregnated with an aprotic electrolyte based on Li ⁺ cations ensuring the ionic conductivity. The electrolytes used in these lithium-ion batteries are usually constituted by a lithium salt, for example of formula LiPF ₆ , LiAsF ₆ , L1CF3SO3 or L1CIO4, which is dissolved in a mixture of non-aqueous solvents such as acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran or most often a carbonate for example of ethylene or propylene.

A lithium-ion battery is based on the reversible exchange of the lithium ion between the anode and the cathode during charging and discharge of the battery, and it has a high energy density for a very low mass thanks to to the physical properties of lithium.

The anode active material of a lithium-ion battery is designed to be the seat of a reversible insertion / deinsertion of lithium and is typically made of graphite (capacity of 370 mAh / g and redox potential of 0.05V per relative to the Li ⁺ / Li pair) or alternatively of mixed metal oxides among which lithiated titanium oxides of formula Li ₄ Ti ₅ O 12, for example, are listed. As for the active ingredient of the cathode, it usually consists of an oxide of a transition metal or a lithium iron phosphate. These active substances thus allow a reversible insertion / deinsertion of lithium into the electrodes, and the higher their mass fractions, the greater the capacitance of the electrodes.

These electrodes must also contain an electrically conductive compound, such as carbon black and, to give them sufficient mechanical cohesion, a polymeric binder.

The anodes of lithium-ion batteries are most often manufactured by a process comprising successively a step of dissolution or dispersion of the ingredients of the anode in a solvent, a step of spreading the solution or dispersion obtained on a metal collector of current, then finally a step of evaporation of the solvent. Processes using an organic solvent (such as the one presented in US-A1-2010 / 01-12441) have drawbacks in the fields of environment and safety, in particular the fact that it is necessary to evaporate high amounts of these solvents that are toxic or flammable. As for the processes using an aqueous solvent, their major disadvantage is that the anode must be dried very thoroughly before it can be used, the traces of water limiting the useful life of lithium batteries. For example, EP-B1-1489673 can be cited for the description of a method of manufacturing a graphite-based anode, an elastomeric binder and using an aqueous solvent.

In the past, it has therefore been sought to manufacture anodes for lithium-ion batteries without the use of solvents, in particular by means of melt processing techniques (for example by extrusion). Unfortunately, these molten processes generate major difficulties in the case of these batteries which require a mass fraction of active ingredient in the polymer mixture of the anode of at least 85% so that it has sufficient capacity within drums. However, at such levels of active ingredient, the viscosity of the mixture becomes very high and entails risks of overheating of the mixture and loss of mechanical cohesion after its implementation. US-A-5,749,927 discloses a method for the continuous preparation by extrusion of lithium polymer battery electrodes, which comprises mixing the electrode active material with an electrical conductor and a solid electrolyte composition comprising a polymer, a lithium salt and a propylene carbonate / ethylene carbonate mixture in large excess with respect to this polymer. In this document, the mass fraction of active material present in the obtained anode polymer composition is less than 70%, being clearly insufficient for a lithium-ion battery.

The document EP-A1 -2 639 860 in the name of the Applicant proposes an anode composition for lithium-ion battery prepared by molten route and without evaporation of solvent, which makes it possible to increase the mass fraction of active material in the anode. thus conferring a high performance on the lithium-ion battery incorporating it. The anode compositions disclosed herein include:

an active ingredient (e.g. graphite) with a mass fraction greater than 85%,

an electrically conductive charge,

a crosslinked elastomeric binder consisting for example of a hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (HNBR) "THERBAN 4307" which is completely saturated (ie defined by a residual level of double bonds at most equal to 0.9%) and having a mass ratio of units derived from acrylonitrile equal to 43%,

a system for radical crosslinking of the elastomer binder comprising a peroxide, and

a nonvolatile organic compound (e.g. alkene carbonate) which is usable in the electrolyte solvent of the battery.

WO-A2-2015 / 124835 also in the name of the Applicant discloses an electrode composition (eg anode) for lithium-ion battery prepared by melting and without evaporation of solvent, using a phase sacrificial polymer which is mixed with an active material, a crosslinked elastomeric binder or not and a conductive filler, and then it is eliminated at least partially for example by thermal decomposition, which allows to obtain an improved plasticization and fluidity during the implementation of the molten mixture in spite of a mass fraction of active material usable in the composition superior to 80%, and controlled porosity of the latter giving it a satisfactory electrode capacity. This composition may comprise as a binder an HNBR (eg Zetpol® 2010L, which is a partially saturated HNBR having a mass content of acrylonitrile units of 36%, a degree of hydrogenation of 96% and a value of 1% iodine, measured according to ASTM D5902-05).

The anode compositions presented in these last two documents are generally satisfactory for a lithium-ion battery, however the Applicant has sought in recent research to further improve their electrochemical properties.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a new anode polymer composition containing an active material which comprises a graphite usable in a lithium-ion battery anode according to a very high mass fraction while being able to confer on the anode improved capacity and cyclability, and this object is achieved in that the Applicant has surprisingly discovered that if an elastomeric binder comprising at least one copolymer is mixed with this active substance and with an electrically conductive filler non-hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene (NBR) and / or at least one HNBR each having a mass ratio of units derived from acrylonitrile (abn. mass ratio abn) equal to or greater than 40% and crosslinked by oxidation in an atmosphere comprising oxygen at an oxygen partial pressure of greater than 10 ⁴ Pa (0.1 bar) and at a temperature of between 200 ° C. and 3 ° C. At 00 ° C, then an anode with capacities at five and ten cycles well above 200 mAh / g of anode can be obtained, both by liquid and molten, with a retention rate after five or ten cycles compared with the first one. cycle which is clearly above 80% (or even above 90% and even 100%). Indeed, the Applicant has discovered that the oxygen used for this thermal oxidation interacts at high temperature with the -C-N nitrile groups of the or each copolymer (groups much more numerous than the double bonds of the units resulting from butadiene, given very high ACN mass ratio) to partially oxidize / dehydrate these nitrile groups by enriching them in oxygen atoms and depleting them in hydrogen atoms, which makes it possible to form carbon bridges between the polymeric chains of the each copolymer and therefore to crosslink.

Thus, a polymeric electrode composition capable of forming a lithium-ion battery anode according to the invention, the composition comprising an active material which comprises a graphite capable of performing a reversible insertion / deinsertion of lithium in said anode, an electrically conductive charge. and a crosslinked elastomeric binder which comprises a hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (HNBR), is such that said crosslinked binder comprises at least one non-hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (NBR) and / or at least one said HNBR which present (s) each a mass ratio of ACN equal to or greater than 40% and which is (are) crosslinked by thermal oxidation.

"Binder comprising at least one NBR and / or at least one

HNBR "is understood here to mean that said binder may comprise one or more NBRs and / or one or more HNBRs, each satisfying the dual condition of having this very high mass content of ACN and of being cross-linked - exclusively or at least in part - by a chemical reaction of thermo-oxidation in the presence of the oxygen atoms of the thermo-oxidizing atmosphere interacting with the nitrile groups.

In general, the NBR and / or HNBR crosslinked elastomers that comprise a composition according to the invention may be functionalized elastomers or not, it being understood that it is possible to functionalize these NBRs and / or HNBR by appropriate functional groups. to impart improved properties (eg adhesion) to the electrode composition according to the invention, such as for example carbonyl groups (eg carboxyl, for obtaining carboxylated NBRs, also called XNBR), without limitation.

It will be noted that this crosslinking by thermal oxidation is distinguished from the radical crosslinking with peroxide used especially in the document EP-A1 -2 639 860 to crosslink the HNBR binder, and that this specific crosslinking results structurally for the composition of the invention by the fact that it can be advantageously free of any crosslinking system, such as a radical crosslinking system for example with peroxide, since the active sites for the crosslinking by thermo-oxidation are provided by the oxygen of the Surrounding atmosphere interacting specifically with the nitrile groups of NBR and / or HNBR.

As indicated above, it will be noted as a variant of this exclusive crosslinking of said at least one NBR and / or of said at least one HNBR by thermal oxidation, that it is also possible to partially crosslink (s) it by radical route (eg incorporating a peroxide crosslinking system into the composition) in addition to the crosslinking provided by said thermal oxidation.

Advantageously, said crosslinked binder thus comprises the product of a thermal oxidation chemical reaction, under an atmosphere comprising oxygen at an oxygen partial pressure of greater than 10 ⁴ Pa and at a temperature of between 200 ° C. and 300 ° C. ° C, of said at least one NBR and / or said at least one non-crosslinked HNBR (s), said active material and said electrically conductive filler with the oxygen of said atmosphere.

It will be noted that the thermal oxidation according to the invention modifies the initial uncrosslinked composition (or crosslinkable in absolute, if the composition incorporates a crosslinking system), in order to obtain a final crosslinked composition by chemical reaction with the oxygen of said at least one NBR and / or said at least one uncrosslinked (s) or crosslinkable HNBR (s).

As explained above, said units derived from acrylonitrile contained in said at least one NBR and / or said at least one HNBR crosslinked in the crosslinked composition according to the invention are at least partially enriched in oxygen atoms and depleted in hydrogen atoms, by said thermal oxidation.

Preferably, said mass ratio of ACN in said at least one NBR and / or said at least one HNBR is equal to or greater than 44%, and even more preferably 48% or more.

Also preferentially, said crosslinked binder comprises, according to a mass fraction inclusive of between 70% and 100%, said at least one NBR and / or said at least one HNBR, said crosslinked binder being present in the composition in a mass fraction of less than 5. %, preferably less than or equal to 4%.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, said crosslinked binder comprises at least one HNBR which has:

an iodine value, measured according to the ASTM D5902-05 standard, greater than 10%, advantageously greater than 15% and even more advantageously greater than 20%, and

a degree of hydrogenation of less than 95% and advantageously less than 92% (measured by infrared spectroscopy).

It should be noted that this iodine value (also called iodine number and representing, by definition, iodine g / g of HNBR) measured according to this standard (re-approved in 2010 and 2015), indicates a rate of unsaturation. residuals that can be relatively high for the HNBR according to the invention, which testifies that this HNBR is partially hydrogenated and is therefore partially saturated grade (unlike HNBR "THERBAN 4307" aforementioned of EP-A1 -2 639 860).

It will be noted, however, that the HNBR according to the invention may alternatively be of completely saturated and hydrogenated grade, i.e. having an iodine value of less than 10% and a degree of hydrogenation close to 100%.

Advantageously, said crosslinked binder may comprise a mixture of said at least one NBR and said at least one HNBR (which each have said mass ratio of ACN equal to or greater than 40% and which are both crosslinked by said thermal oxidation, as explained herein. -above). It will be noted that the homogeneous distribution in the composition of said crosslinked elastomeric binder makes it possible to ensure the mechanical strength of the electrode.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the composition according to the invention may advantageously comprise:

according to a mass fraction greater than 90%, said active material comprising said graphite which is of artificial or natural type, eg artificial C-NERGY® L-SERIES graphite (Timcal) or of one of the series PGPT100, PGPT200, PGPT20 (Targray), and

according to a mass fraction of between 1% and 6%, said electrically conductive filler chosen from the group consisting of carbon blacks, graphites, expanded graphites, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphenes and their mixtures , preferably selected from purified expanded conductive graphites, high purity carbon blacks and carbon nanofibers.

It will be noted that this very high mass fraction of said active material in the electrode composition makes it possible to confer a high performance on the lithium-ion battery incorporating it.

Advantageously, said composition of the invention may be devoid of any nonvolatile organic compound (ie having a boiling point greater than 150 ° C. at atmospheric pressure of 1.013 × 10 ⁵ Pa), such as a sodium carbonate. alkene, contrary to the teaching of document EP-A1 -2 639 860 cited above. An electrode according to the invention is able to form a lithium-ion battery anode, and is characterized in that the electrode comprises at least one film consisting of said polymeric composition defined above, and a current metal collector in contact with said at least one film.

A lithium-ion battery according to the invention comprises at least one cell comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte based on a lithium salt and a non-aqueous solvent, and this battery is characterized in that said anode is consisting of this electrode of the invention. Advantageously, the cathode of this battery may be based on an active material comprising at least one lithiated polyanionic compound or complex having an operating voltage of less than 4 V and preferably coated with carbon, such as a phosphate of a metal. Lithiated M of formula LiMPO ₄ where M is for example an iron atom.

A method of preparation according to the invention of said polymeric composition defined above, comprises successively:

a) a mixture of ingredients of the composition comprising said active material, said elastomer binder in the uncrosslinked state and said electrically conductive filler, for obtaining a precursor mixture of said composition,

b) depositing said mixture on a metal current collector so that said mixture forms an uncrosslinked film, then

c) a thermal oxidation of said uncrosslinked film under an atmosphere comprising oxygen at an oxygen partial pressure of greater than 10 ⁴ Pa and at a temperature of between 200 ° C. and 300 ° C., to obtain said electrode in which said binder is crosslinked.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, one implements:

step a) by liquid grinding said ingredients dissolved or dispersed in a solvent,

step b) by coating with a squeegee, and

step c), after evaporation of said solvent following step b), by annealing said film at a temperature of between 200 and 300 ° C.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, one implements:

step a) by mixing said ingredients by melt and without evaporation of solvent, said ingredients further comprising a sacrificial polymeric phase according to a mass fraction in said mixture equal to or greater than 28%,

step b) by calendering, and step c) by decomposition, at said temperature of between 200 and 300 ° C., of said sacrificial polymeric phase having a thermal decomposition temperature at least 20 ° C. lower than that of said binder, to at least partially eliminate said sacrificial polymeric phase.

Advantageously, said sacrificial polymeric phase may comprise at least one sacrificial polymer chosen from carbonate polyalkenes and may be present in said mixture in a mass fraction of between 30% and 50%, and stage a) may be carried out in a mixer. internal or an extruder without macroseparation of phases between said binder and said sacrificial polymeric phase in said mixture, wherein said binder is dispersed homogeneously in said sacrificial polymeric phase which is continuous or forms a co-continuous phase with the latter.

Advantageously, reference may be made to the teaching of the aforementioned document WO-A1-2015 / 124835 for the implementation of this second embodiment of the invention, it being specified that the method according to this second mode makes it possible to control the porosity at within the composition by the amount of sacrificial phase introduced by controlling it in terms of size, quantity and morphology of the pores, and provides short implementation times, typical of conventional plastic processing methods such as extrusion for example .

In general, it is possible to add to the compositions of the invention specific additives to improve or optimize their manufacturing process. It is also possible to add compounds that allow crosslinking of the binder as well as coagents capable of aiding in the crosslinking and homogenization thereof. For example, organic peroxides can be mentioned as a crosslinking agent and triallyl cyanurate as a coagent. The crosslinking makes it possible to ensure the cohesion of the composition as a function of the nature of the binder. It will be appreciated that the use of an agent and crosslinking agent is useful but not necessary for the invention. Other features, advantages and details of the present invention will become apparent on reading the following description of several exemplary embodiments of the invention, given by way of nonlimiting illustration in relation to the attached drawing, in which:

The single figure is a graph illustrating the absorbance spectra measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR for short) showing the evolution of the absorbance as a function of the wavenumber of two elastomeric films which consist of a HNBR binding agent, one of which is a non-crosslinked "control" film and the other crosslinked according to the invention via thermal oxidation.

Examples "control", not according to the invention and according to the invention of anodes for lithium-ion battery prepared by liquid route:

In the following examples, we used:

- as an active ingredient, an artificial graphite with the name C-NERGY® L-SERIES (Timcal);

as a conductive filler, a purified expanded conductive graphite;

as a solvent, N-methylpyrrolidinone, of Aldrich (NMP);

- the two following NBR binders of Versalis ENI:

^* Europrene N 3360 with an ACN mass ratio of 33%, and

^* Europrene N 4560 with an ACN mass ratio of 45%; the following three HNBR binders from Zeon Chemicals LP:

^* Zetpol® 4310, with an ACN mass ratio of 19%, an iodine value of 15 and a degree of hydrogenation (HYD) of 95%,

^* Zetpol® 2010L with a mass ratio of ACN of 36%, iodine value of 1 1 and degree of hydrogenation (HYD) of 96%,

* Zetpol® 0020 with ACN mass ratio of 50%, iodine value of 23 and degree of hydrogenation (HYD) of 91%. Protocol for setting the anodes in liquid form

Li-ion battery anodes were made by mixing these ingredients in a ball mill, then coating the dispersion obtained after mixing on a metal strip forming a current collector, subsequent drying and finally optional crosslinking of the anodes obtained according to the invention. invention via annealing.

The active material, the conductive filler and the binder (dissolved in NMP with a 1/10 mass ratio) were first mixed in the NMP by ball mill milling for 3 minutes at 350 rpm.

The dispersions obtained were then coated on a bare copper strip of thickness 12 μιτι, using an opening squeegee of 150 μιτι. After evaporation of the solvent at 60 ° C. for 2 hours, the coated films were annealed at 240 ° C. for 30 minutes for the anode according to the invention (an anode not according to the invention was obtained without this final annealing). . A final thickness of anodes ranging from 50 to 100 μιτι was obtained.

Table 1 below details the formulations of the compositions used in the initial dispersions and in the finally obtained anodes (% mass fractions).

Table 1

cumv oeroxv e oar raooort au ant tota. It will be noted that:

The control anode C1 comprises an HNBR binder which is not in accordance with the invention and has been crosslinked exclusively by a final annealing (thermal oxidation at 240 ° C.),

The control anode C 2 comprises another HNBR binder which is not in accordance with the invention and has been crosslinked exclusively by a final annealing (thermal oxidation at 240 ° C.),

the anode C3 not according to the invention was prepared with the same formulation as the anode 11 according to the invention, although it differs from the latter by the absence of final crosslinking by annealing. In other words, it comprises, as C3, an HNBR according to the invention, but only 11 has been cross-linked (exclusively by thermal oxidation at 240 ° C.),

The control C4 anode comprises a HNBR binder which is not in accordance with the invention and has been crosslinked both by a radical route and by thermal oxidation at 240 ° C.

The control C5 anode comprises the same HNBR binder not according to the invention and has been crosslinked exclusively by thermal oxidation at 240 ° C.

The control C6 anode comprises an NBR binder not according to the invention and has not been crosslinked,

The C7 anode not according to the invention comprises an NBR binder according to the invention and has not been crosslinked,

The C8 anode not according to the invention comprises the same NBR binder according to the invention and has been crosslinked exclusively by radical means, and

the anode C9 not according to the invention was prepared with the same formulation as the anode 12 according to the invention, although it differs from the latter by the absence of final crosslinking by annealing.

More precisely, 12 comprises, as C9, a mixture of binders according to the invention NBR + HNBR each according to the invention, but only 12 has been partly crosslinked by thermal oxidation at 240 ° C. (and furthermore by radical route) since C 9 has been crosslinked exclusively by the radical route. Examples "control" and according to the invention of anodes for lithium-ion battery prepared by molten route:

In the following examples, we used:

- as active ingredient, the aforementioned artificial graphite of the name C-NERGY® L-SERIES (Timcal),

as conductive filler, the purified expanded conductive graphite, and

as the sacrificial polymeric phase, a blend of the two sacrificial polymers (polypropylene carbonates, abbreviated PPC)

Converge® Polyol 212-10 from Novomer and QPAC® 40 from Empower Materials.

In the "control" examples, the above-mentioned HNBR Zetpol® 2010L binder was used (36% acrylonitrile level, 1% iodine number).

In the examples according to the invention, the abovementioned HNBR Zetpol® 0020 binder (acrylonitrile content of 50%, iodine number of 23) was used.

Protocol for casting anodes by melting:

The anodes based on said graphite were melted using an internal mixer of the Haake Polylab OS type, with a capacity of 69 cm ³ and at a temperature of between 60 ° C. and 75 ° C.

The mixtures thus obtained were calendered at room temperature using an external Scamex cylinder mixer until an anode thickness of 200 μιτι was obtained, then they were further calendered at 50 ° C. to reach a thickness of 50 μιτι. The resulting films were deposited on a copper collector using a 70 ° C sheet-fed calender.

The anodes obtained in an oven were placed in order to extract the sacrificial phase (solid and liquid PPC). They were subjected to a temperature ramp from 50 ° C to 250 ° C and then an isotherm of 30 min. at 250 ° C.

Table 2 below details the formulations of the compositions used before and after extraction of the sacrificial phase (mass fractions in%). Table 2:

It will be noted that all the C'1, C'2, C'3 and ΙΊ, Y 2 anodes obtained have been crosslinked exclusively by thermal oxidation according to the invention, but that only ΙΊ and Γ2 comprise a binder according to the invention. invention. Protocol for electrochemical characterization of the liquid prepared C1-C9 and 11, 12 anodes and of the melted C1-C3 and Γ1, Γ2 anodes: The C1-C9, 11, 12 anodes were punched out and

C1-C3, Γ1,2 (diameter 16 mm, area 2.01 cm ² ) and weighed. The mass of active material was determined by subtracting the mass of the bare current collector prepared under the same conditions (heat treatments). They were put in an oven directly connected to a glove box. They were dried at 100 ° C under vacuum for 12 hours and then transferred to the glove box (argon atmosphere: 0.1 ppm H ₂ O and 0.1 ppm O 2).

The button cells (CR1620 format) were then assembled using a lithium metal counter-electrode, a Cellgard 2500 separator and a LiPF6 EC / DMC battery grade electrolyte (50/50 in mass ratio). Batteries were characterized on a Biologie VMP3 potentiostat, performing constant current charging / discharging cycles between 1 V and 10 mV. The regime was C / 5 considering the mass of active material and a theoretical capacity of 372 mAh / g. In order to compare the performances of the different systems, the capacities (expressed in mAh / g of anode) were evaluated during the first discharge for lithium deisertion (initial capacity after the first cycle), at the fifth discharge ( five-cycle capacity) and the tenth discharge (ten-cycle capacity). The retention rate R (%) was further calculated for the ratio of the ten cycle capacity to the first cycle capacity.

Table 3 below gives the results of this characterization. Table 3:

Table 3 shows that the anodes 11 and 12 prepared by the liquid route according to the first embodiment of the invention, ie whose binder is a HNBR with an ACN content of at least 40% and which has been crosslinked by a thermal oxidation under air at 240 ° C, each have a capacity significantly greater than 200 mAh / g of anode even after five and ten cycles (even greater than 220 mAh / g), and a cyclability close to 100% between the first and tenth cycles. These satisfactory results for the anodes 11 and 12 contrast with those insufficient obtained for the anodes C1 to C9 and demonstrate the synergistic effect between the high level of ACN according to the invention in the NBR and / or HNBR tested and the crosslinking by thermal oxidation, in particular by comparison with:

the anodes C1, C2, C4, C5 also crosslinked by thermal oxidation but not with this high level of ACN in the HNBR,

the anodes C3 and C7 which are not in accordance with the invention (capacity less than or equal to 130 mAh / g of the fifth to the tenth ring) comprising an HNBR or NBR binder with a high level of ACN but not crosslinked, and

the C8 and C9 anodes comprising an NBR binder with a high rate of ACN but exclusively crosslinked by a radical route.

In addition, the anode 12 according to the invention shows an additional synergistic effect provided by the mixture of binders NBR + HNBR both high ACN and crosslinked by thermal oxidation in comparison with the anode 11 comprising only a HNBR as a binder (see higher capacities and cycling).

It will be noted that the anodes of the invention may alternatively comprise as binder:

a high-level NBR of ACN cross-linked exclusively by thermal oxidation and optionally furthermore by radical route, and

the combination of a NBR and an HNBR, each with a high level of ACN and both exclusively crosslinked by thermal oxidation (the peroxide crosslinking system included in the anode composition being optional). To illustrate the effect of this final annealing at 240 ° C. and in air on the capacitive performances of the anodes 11 and 12 according to the invention prepared by the liquid route, absorbance measurements were carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy ( IRTF for short, "FTIR" for "Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy") according to the wave number.

For this purpose, a film consisting of the HNBR binder according to the invention (Zetpol® 0020) of 100 μm thickness was deposited on copper, and treated for 30 minutes at 240 ° C. in air. This film was then studied by IRTF in "ATR" mode (for "attenuated total reflectance" in English, i.e. attenuated total reflectance). The single figure shows the two spectra obtained S1 and S2, respectively before and after this annealing.

The spectrum S2 after this annealing shows:

a slight decrease in the band at 2240 cm ^-1 , characteristic of the nitrile groups -C≡ N,

an appearance of a band around 1600 cm ^-1 attributed to the appearance of C = C and C = N bonds, and

an appearance of a band around 1740 cm ^-1 attributed to the appearance of C = O groups.

These bands are characteristic of the partial oxidation of nitrile groups and the crosslinking of HNBR by oxidation / dehydration of these nitrile groups (which are much more numerous than the unsaturations resulting from butadiene because of the high level of ACN in the HNBR). .

Table 3 also shows that the ΙΊ and Γ 2 anodes prepared by the molten route according to the second embodiment of the invention, ie the binder of which is a HNBR with an ACN content of at least 40% which has been crosslinked by thermal oxidation during of the decomposition of the sacrificial polymeric phase, has a capacity equal to or greater than 200 mAh / g of anode even after five and ten cycles (capacity of at least 210 mAh / g), as well as a cyclability greater than 100% between the first and the tenth cycles. These satisfactory results for anodes ΙΊ and Γ2 contrast with the impossibility to make the elastomeric film adhere to the collector for the C'3 anode (for which a sacrificial phase mass fraction before extraction has been used of only 25.1%, far below the 39.4% and 32% respectively used for anodes Γ1 and Γ2).

Claims

1) Polymeric composition for an electrode capable of forming a lithium-ion battery anode, the composition comprising an active material which comprises a graphite capable of performing a reversible insertion / deinsertion of lithium into said anode, an electrically conductive filler and a crosslinked elastomeric binder which comprises at least one hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (HNBR), characterized in that said crosslinked binder comprises at least one non-hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (NBR) and / or at least one said hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (HNBR) which each has a mass ratio of units derived from acrylonitrile equal to or greater than 40% and which is (are) crosslinked by thermal oxidation.

2) Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that said crosslinked binder comprises the product of a chemical reaction of thermal oxidation, in an atmosphere comprising oxygen at an oxygen partial pressure greater than 10 ⁴ Pa and at a temperature between 200 ° C and 300 ° C, of said at least one NBR and / or said at least one non-crosslinked HNBR (s), said active material and said electrically conductive filler with the oxygen of said atmosphere.

3) Composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said units derived from acrylonitrile that comprises (nt) said at least one NBR and / or said at least crosslinked HNBR (s) are at least partially enriched in carbon atoms. oxygen and depleted in hydrogen atoms by said thermal oxidation. 4) Composition according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composition is devoid of any system of crosslinking said at least one NBR and / or said at least one crosslinked HNBR (s), such as a radical crosslinking system for example with peroxide.

5) Composition according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said crosslinked binder comprises in a mass fraction inclusive of between 70% and 100% said at least one NBR and / or said at least one HNBR, said crosslinked binder being present in the composition according to a mass fraction of less than 5%, preferably less than or equal to 4%.

6) Composition according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said crosslinked binder comprises at least one HNBR which has an iodine value, measured according to ASTM D5902-05, greater than 10% and preferably greater than 15%.

7) Composition according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said crosslinked binder comprises a mixture of said at least one NBR and said at least one HNBR. 8) Composition according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said mass ratio of units derived from acrylonitrile is equal to or greater than 44%, preferably equal to or greater than 48%.

9) Composition according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composition comprises:

in a mass fraction greater than 90%, said active material comprising said graphite which is of artificial type, and

according to a mass fraction of between 1% and 6%, said electrically conductive filler, which is selected from the group consisting of carbon blacks, graphites, expanded graphites, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphenes and their mixtures. 10) Electrode adapted to form a lithium-ion battery anode, characterized in that the electrode comprises at least one film consisting of a composition according to one of the preceding claims, and a metal current collector in contact with said at least one movie.

1 1) lithium-ion battery comprising at least one cell comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte based on a lithium salt and a non-aqueous solvent, characterized in that said anode consists of an electrode according to claim 10.

12) Process for the preparation of a composition according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the process comprises successively:

13) Method according to claim 12, characterized in that one implements:

step a) by liquid grinding said ingredients dissolved or dispersed in a solvent, and

- Step c), after evaporation of said solvent following step b), by annealing said film. 14) Method according to claim 12, characterized in that one implements:

step a) by mixing said ingredients by melt and without evaporation of solvent, said ingredients further comprising a sacrificial polymeric phase according to a mass fraction in said mixture equal to or greater than 28%, and

step c) by thermal decomposition of said sacrificial polymeric phase having a thermal decomposition temperature at least 20 ° C lower than that of said binder, to at least partially eliminate said sacrificial polymeric phase.

15) Method according to claim 14, characterized in that said sacrificial polymeric phase comprises at least one sacrificial polymer chosen from carbonate polyalkenes and is present in said mixture in a mass fraction of between 30% and 50%, and in that step a) is carried out in an internal mixer or an extruder without macroseparation of phases between said binder and said sacrificial polymeric phase in said mixture, wherein said binder is dispersed homogeneously in said continuous sacrificial polymeric phase, or form a co-continuous phase with the latter.